sure

a printed punctuation mark (‽), available only in some typefaces, designed to combine the question mark (?) and the exclamation point (!), indicating a mixture of query and interjection, as after a rhetorical question.

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Idioms

13.

for sure, as a certainty; surely: It's going to be a good day, for sure.

14.

make sure, to be or become absolutely certain: I'm calling to make sure that you remember to come.

15.

sure enough, Informal. as might have been supposed; actually; certainly: Sure enough, the picnic was rained out.

16.

to be sure,

without doubt; surely; certainly.

admittedly: She sings well, to be sure, but she can't act.

Origin:
1300–50; Middle English sur(e) < Middle French sur, Old French seur < Latin sēcūrus secure

Related forms

sure·ness, noun

o·ver·sure, adjective

o·ver·sure·ly, adverb

o·ver·sure·ness, noun

un·sure, adjective

un·sure·ly, adverb

un·sure·ness, noun

Synonyms
1. Sure, certain, confident, positive indicate full belief and trust that something is true. Sure, certain and positive are often used interchangeably. Sure the simplest and most general, expresses mere absence of doubt. Certain suggests that there are definite reasons that have freed one from doubt. Confident emphasizes the strength of the belief or the certainty of expectation felt. Positive implies emphatic certainty, which may even become overconfidence or dogmatism.

Usage note
Both sure and surely are used as intensifying adverbs with the sense “undoubtedly, certainly.” In this use, sure is generally informal and occurs mainly in speech and written representations of speech: She sure dazzled the audience with her acceptance speech. It was sure hot enough in the auditorium. Surely is used in this sense in all varieties of speech and writing, even the most formal: The court ruled that the law was surely meant to apply to both profit-making and nonprofit organizations. See also quick, slow.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To Sure

Collins

World English Dictionary

sure (ʃʊə, ʃɔː)

—*adj*
1.	(sometimes foll by of) free from hesitancy or uncertainty (with regard to a belief, conviction, etc): we are sure of the accuracy of the data; I am sure that he is lying
2.	(foll by of) having no doubt, as of the occurrence of a future state or event: sure of success
3.	always effective; unfailing: a sure remedy
4.	reliable in indication or accuracy: a sure criterion
5.	(of persons) worthy of trust or confidence: a sure friend
6.	not open to doubt: sure proof
7.	admitting of no vacillation or doubt: he is very sure in his beliefs
8.	bound to be or occur; inevitable: victory is sure
9.	(postpositive) bound inevitably (to be or do something); certain: she is sure to be there tonight
10.	physically secure or dependable: a sure footing
11.	obsolete free from exposure to harm or danger
12.	(usually imperative or dependent imperative; takes a clause as object or an infinitive, sometimes with to replaced by and) be sure to be careful or certain: be sure and shut the door; I told him to be sure to shut the door
13.	for sure without a doubt; surely
14.	make sure
	a. (takes a clause as object) to make certain; ensure
	b. (foll by of) to establish or confirm power or possession (over)
15.	informal sure enough as might have been confidently expected; definitely: often used as a sentence substitute
16.	to be sure
	a. without doubt; certainly
	b. it has to be acknowledged; admittedly

—*adv*
17.	informal (sentence substitute) willingly; yes
18.	informal chiefly (US), (Canadian) (sentence modifier) without question; certainly

[C14: from Old French seur, from Latin sēcūrussecure]

'sureness

—n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline

Word Origin & History

sure

c.1300, "safe, secure," later "mentally certain" (mid-15c.), from O.Fr. sur, seur "safe, secure," from L. securus "free from care, untroubled, heedless, safe" (see secure). Pronunciation development followed that of sugar. As an affirmative meaning

"yes, certainly" it dates from 1803, from M.E. meanings "firmly established, having no doubt," and phrases like to be sure (1650s), sure enough (1540s), and for sure (1580s). The use as a qualifier meaning "assuredly" goes back to early 15c. Sure-footed is from 1630s; sure-fire first attested 1901; sure thing dates from 1836. In 16c.-17c., Suresby was an appellation for a person to be depended upon.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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